Chapter 31
As the page refreshed, the chart changed in an instant.
LAMIA’s title track shot up rapidly. Beneath it, the album tracks followed one after another.
It looked like they would reclaim No. 1 at any moment with that fierce momentum.
“Wow. Their fandom power is no joke.”
I had never paid close attention to chart changes like this before. Seeing it happen in real time, the force was overwhelming.
It almost felt like the entire world was listening to LAMIA’s songs and nothing else.
“Where’s ours?”
Min Chan-hyuk scrolled down quickly.
30th, 50th, 80th…
My anxiety grew with every swipe. I bit my lip.
And finally, we found.
103rd.
My heart dropped.
“Ah.”
A weak sound slipped from my lips. My fingertips trembled.
“It’s outside the Top 100.”
We needed Top 10. But being outside the Top 100… it was devastating.
The penalty flashed before my eyes. It felt like a red warning light had turned on inside my head.
Without realizing it, I touched my ear. It already felt faintly numb.
If I lose my hearing like this…
Fear gripped me.
“Hey, don’t worry.”
Min Chan-hyuk patted my shoulder.
“This is just the ranking right after release. Sure, it’s a little lower than expected. But we overlapped with LAMIA’s comeback. We have to factor that in.”
He probably thought I was simply disappointed about my debut song’s performance. From the outside, that’s all it looked like.
“Man, when I debuted, I thought the world would flip upside down when my song dropped. I thought everyone would go crazy over it. But it’s not that easy.”
He gave a bitter smile.
“An idol group like LAMIA has crazy fandom power. Of course they’ll shoot up the charts! They do streaming attacks and all that. So in the beginning, it’s basically LAMIA’s stage.”
He tapped the screen.
“But our singer, Lee Ha-in, relies more on the general public than fandom, okay? Songs like this show their true value after 24 hours.”
There was a certain conviction in his voice.
“The song is good. Once word of mouth starts spreading, around 24 to 48 hours later, the rankings will jump. Songs like this have strong longevity. They’re built to last. The first day isn’t as important as the next one or two.”
He glanced at me and cleared his throat awkwardly.
“So there’s no need to feel so down. This is just the beginning.”
Only then did I realize this long explanation was meant to comfort me.
“Let’s check reactions. When a song drops, it’s not just the fans. Public response matters too. Let’s see…”
He searched Lee Ha-in’s name on social media and proudly showed me the screen.
Posts about her new song were popping up everywhere.
Has anyone listened to Lee Ha-in’s new song?? This one’s insane, super clean.
[It’s oyster season these days—nope, it’s Unni’s face season. Lee Ha-in dropped a new song today; please check it out.]
What is up with Lee Ha-in’s visuals??? Her hair and makeup are legendary.
This new Lee Ha-in song is crazy good lol. It’s something new but super addictive.
[Min Chan-hyuk produced another masterpiece.]
Lee Ha-in what??? She brought such a crappy song last time, but it looks like the company finally woke up.
“…”
I stared at the screen for a moment, then let out a small laugh.
The playful reactions made me smile without realizing it.
My heart felt a little lighter.
“Okay. I’ll wait.”
“Yeah. Just watch. This is only the beginning. It’s her first comeback in two years too.”
He muttered quietly.
“We have to make this succeed, no matter what.”
I absentmindedly traced the curve of my ear again.
***
“I’m seriously dying.”
Choi Dong-hyuk muttered, slumping in his chair. He looked around.
“How much of the assignment have you guys finished?”
Lee Hyun-ji answered with tired eyes.
“About half.”
“That’s a lot. Dayeon?”
“About the same.”
Yoo Da-yeon’s usual gentle smile was gone. Her hair was tightly tied back, and thick glasses sat on her nose.
Choi Dong-hyuk turned to Han So-yeon. She was focused on her phone.
“So-yeon.”
“Huh? Oh?”
She jumped when her name was called.
“What are you doing? Finished the assignment?”
“I’m working on it.”
Her blunt reply made him shrug.
“You’ve been on your phone forever. Pulling an all-nighter again? We’ve been like this for days.”
Yoo Da-yeon answered instead.
“LAMIA had their comeback. She’s probably busy because of that.”
“LAMIA?”
Choi Dong-hyuk tilted his head. He knew they were popular, but what did that have to do with anything?
Lee Hyun-ji jumped in.
“Oh! I listened to their new song. It’s really exciting. It’s a bit different from their usual cute style. I like this one more.”
Han So-yeon’s eyes lit up.
“Right? It’s so good!”
“I thought it was kind of childish.”
“Hey!”
At Yoo Da-yeon’s casual comment, Han So-yeon immediately raised her voice. Yoo Da-yeon giggled.
“Don’t insult LAMIA in front of her. She’s a first-generation fan club member. She’s probably streaming and checking for new updates right now.”
“You like LAMIA that much?”
Choi Dong-hyuk asked.
Han So-yeon blushed slightly.
“…Yeah. It might sound childish, but their songs gave me a lot of strength.”
“Didn’t know that. I haven’t listened to the new song yet. I should.”
He picked up his phone, then remembered something.
“Oh, right. Lee Ha-in also released a new song.”
“Hmph.”
Han So-yeon scoffed.
“She went up against LAMIA on the same day? Then it’s over. The charts are completely taken. And this time it’s a full album, not just a digital single. Their fandom is streaming every track. She won’t even get near the Top 10.”
Yoo Da-yeon smirked.
“You never know. Lee Ha-in’s new song is getting pretty good reactions. What was the title again?”
“No need to listen. It’s obvious. Lee Ha-in always releases similar songs.”
“She’s playing to her strengths.”
“It’s self-copying. No growth. Same kind of voice, same kind of songs.”
“I like all her songs.”
“I don’t.”
“You just hate that she overlapped with LAMIA.”
“That’s not it!”
Even at Han So-yeon’s sharp response, Yoo Da-yeon remained calm.
“Want to listen?”
Choi Dong-hyuk suggested suddenly.
“What?”
“Now?”
“We can’t focus anyway. Let’s treat it as a reference. None of us have heard it yet, right?”
Han So-yeon and Yoo Da-yeon exchanged looks.
“True…”
“Wow! I actually wanted to hear it!”
With Lee Hyun-ji chiming in, it naturally turned into a group listening session.
Han So-yeon muttered,
“Listening to it even once helps Lee Ha-in’s streaming numbers.”
“Compared to LAMIA’s fandom, that’s nothing. You’re already streaming on your phone. It cancels out.”
Han So-yeon crossed her arms and lifted her chin.
“Fine. Let’s hear it. I’ll judge it objectively.”
Choi Dong-hyuk connected his phone to the speaker.
Soon, the song began to play as everyone focused.
♩♬♪♩~
At first, their faces were neutral.
Then gradually, surprise began to appear.
But no one dared to speak—no “What is this?” or “Wow”—because it would break the perfect melody.
What had started as a playful listening session turned serious.
Choi Dong-hyuk closed his eyes, slightly frowning.
Lee Hyun-ji looked dazed.
Yoo Da-yeon’s eyes were wide.
And most of all, Han So-yeon—
She was frozen stiff, as if struck by lightning.
